You've seen pit stop footage with crew members zipping tires on and off. But you may not have seen this thing being swapped out: That's a bottle fille

In-Car Hydration and Urination Systems for Race Car Drivers - Core77

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2024-05-05 15:30:08

You've seen pit stop footage with crew members zipping tires on and off. But you may not have seen this thing being swapped out:

That's a bottle filled with water, usually mixed with some combination of vitamins, minerals and/or glucose. Races can be long and grueling, and drivers need to stay hydrated.

The bottle plugs into a hydration system built into the car. From the bottle, an insulated hose routes the water up to a bracket next to the driver's head. This bracket also holds the radio wire. Both drinking hose and radio wire are connected to the driver's helmet, with the drinking tube positioned in front of the driver's mouth.

Racing teams vary on how the fluid is delivered. It can be via pump, which requires the driver to press a button on the steering wheel:

Alternatively, they can forego the pump and the driver can simply sip, as with a straw. (You might wonder why anyone would bother with a pump, which adds weight and another thing that can break; I imagine it's something to do with G-forces.)